Rupert Dubreaux

That is correct Phil , Toyota T1V is re-badged Mobil 3309 .

John hi from dismal Kent , as far as I can remember there is no need to remove the under tray to change the oil and filter . There is a cut out part that allows access to the drain plug and something similar for the filter . Personally I would bin it , they make inspecting under the engine a pain also if something is leaking they sometimes prevent the evidence from appearing on the drive . I now have three of the things parked at the back of our greenhouse , if your car is like mine , with not the nicest cosmetic looking exterior but a great car to waft around in nonetheless ,I wouldn't lose any sleep over removing it permanently .

Stuart hi , if I remember correctly from doing my MK2 cig lighter repair, the procedure is pretty much as Roy says in his post . Put the gear shift in low and pull with two hands on the ash tray ,should just pop out . Dont know why you would need the key turned to the ACC position either . Good luck

Thanks Malc for flagging this up , just checked mine , good news no outstanding recalls found .

It also has the very rare 4WD option. I cannot believe those front seats are the originals .

Hi Yoda , the ones on my Mk3 are rectangular I think the Mk4 are the same . The half moon shape are for the earlier models, the later ones should look like those in this link . https://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=5426769&cc=1187513

Nigel hi, nice looking car . The Mk3 originally came with orange front indicators ,the clear ones you have are an aftermarket upgrade and I think make the car look a bit fresher than the faded orange .

Shame to break a car that could give someone years of good service ,the body looks in better shape than my old Mk2 .

I agree with that logic having heard that it can cause problems replacing all the fluid in one go on a high millage box . The change a few litres at a time seems the safest option . Bee's in the bonnet Pepe ,not good .

Yes, impecable logic. Not something I am known for usually . I did change the fluid on one of my Mk3's a couple of years ago using the Lexls method ,the stuff that came out looked like beef gravy it was horrid . I wasn't having any shifting issues and on the dipstick it didn't look to bad . On my other two I just do drain and fill about 2litres when the engine oils changed once a year ,mainly to keep the cost down it was about a £120 for the fluid to change the whole lot .

The Mk2 and 3 service books for both A and B service state replace fluid every 36000 miles .As Ambermarine's Mk4 service book says the same then it would seem to be common across the LS400 range .

Kev hi ,my 94 mk2 definitely has the flanges on the O2 sensors, another member on here Ian I think who has a Mk1 also had them on his . The ones in the Lexls how too do look like the normal type and he is fitting them to a Mk1, unless there is a difference for US models , I would have a look under your car to make sure before ordering any . As Colin has pointed out a dodgy earth connection can cause all sorts of problems , the Lexus battery terminals do suffer from hidden corrosion sometimes that can be a problem .

Kev hi ,sorry to hear you still have problems, is you engine still cutting out ? Did you find any visible problems when you replaced your ECU caps ? Strange you should now be getting a TPS code as well as the others , if you decide to replace the O2 sensors you might find these useful if yours are the flanged type . http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371166774564?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT You will then be able to use the later screw in type much cheaper than the original flanged ones which might be hard to find also ,I used the Denso uni ones in mine they were about £50 each. Good luck with your repairs ,when these engines are running right there great and well worth spending a little time and money on ,I try and spend as little of the latter as possible though .

Speaking for myself probably more potty than canny . Kev 165k miles is nothing for an LS .

Kev hi , if it was my car I would start here if you have not already replaced the ECU capacitors . http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls400/656360-all-my-crazy-lexus-issues-solved-ecu-leaking-capacitor.html Steve 2006 was supplying the capacitor kits a few weeks back to forum members ,their was a thread about the issue on here as well . I was getting 02 sensor codes and some other codes before I changed the capacitors in my 94 Mk2 , after they were changed no more codes and it ran almost like a new engine . If you still get any codes after replacing the capacitors at least you will know they are genuine and can then investigate further . If you do need 02 sensors on the early cars they have flanges that bolt on , the later screw in types don't fit so you have to get the right ones and they are expensive . As for the shift solenoid if it has failed I would suspect you would notice some odd shifting going on , ECU capacitors can also have this effect . I had several fail on a Mk4 Astra a few years ago and it was very noticeable that something was wrong . Hope you get it all sorted .

John hi , the remote fobs you describe sound the same as my Mk3 ones , as for the keys if the non Lexus one is not a transponder key that has been programmed for your car then it will behave as you describe . I can only assume that pushing certain pedals overides the immobilizer in some way to allow the car to start ,if that is the case it is not much of a theft deterrent . I have had a spare key done at a local key cutting shop, the wife looks after this in case I lock my keys in the boot again , the key opens all the doors and turns on the ignition but wont start the engine . Will have to try that pedal trick to see if I can start the engine with it . Glad you have got your other fob working ,its good to have a spare .

John hi ,sorry to hear you are having a few teething troubles . One of my Mk3's came with two remote fobs with only one that worked ,fitting a new battery made no difference so I used the following method to reprogram the thing to the car . It seems a bit of a faf but actually worked first time . 1. Start with key out of ignition, drivers door is open all others closed and drivers door is unlocked. 2. Insert key into the ignition (Do NOT Turn) and Pull key out. 3. Perform these steps within 40 seconds. A. Using the power lock switch on the drivers door, perform 5 lock/unlock cycles starting with lock. Use an even pace and try to go about one cycle per second. (1Cycle = 1 lock and 1 unlock). B. Close, then open drivers door. 4. Perform these steps within 40 seconds. A. Using the power lock switch on the drivers door, perform 5 lock/unlock cycles starting with lock. Use an even pace and try to go about one cycle per second. (1Cycle = 1 lock and 1 unlock). B. Insert the key in the ignition cylinder. C. Turn the ignition to ON (Do NOT Start) then back to OFF. D. Remove the key from the ignition. 5. Press any button on remote for a minimum of 1 second. System should now lock and unlock doors once. 6. Close and open drivers door. 7. Press any button on remote for a minimum of 1 second. System should now lock and unlock doors. Once to confirm programming, twice to indicate programming failed. 8. Repeat steps 5, 6 and 7 for additional remotes. My valet key starts the car and locks unlocks the doors ,it wont open the glove box or the boot . The owners handbook says about the radio code, if the code has been set on the radio unit you will get SEC show up on the display for a moment when you turn the ignition key from OFF to the ACC position .It seems to be rare for them to have a code set . Enjoy your new car .

Glad you have sorted the problem Colin , did you by chance open up the non working box to see if there was any noticeable problem ,as a matter of interest .

Colin hi again , it is very handy to have a spare car in these situations to swap known working parts . Looking at my Mk2 diagram which seems to use a similar setup the supply for the tail lights runs through the light sensor unit circuit . I think the rear light relay is somewhere near to the tail light fuse on the panel under the steering column .

Colin hi , it might be worth checking the rear light sensing unit ( not sure if that is the right name for it ) On the Mk3 it is located behind the cardboard/carpet trim just under the left side boot lid hinge . Mine is a small green plastic box with a white plug ,I have seen them in blue and red as well, inside is a small circuit board that might have a problem . Mine had a bit of a burn up on some wire links in the unit after I had fitted some dodgy LEDS to the rear lights . I am sure Steve 2006 will probably be able to help if you need the wiring diagram ,good luck with finding your problem .

Welcome back ,and enjoy your new baby .

Mobil do supply Toyota ,Toyota T4 is repackaged Mobil 3309 ATF .

I would try and get the 95/97 mk3 manual although the engine/gearbox and most of the ancillary's are very similar there are some differences from the earlier cars . The rest of the Mk3 is almost totally different ,it was a masterpiece of design to get something to look very similar and be almost totally different from the earlier cars .

Hi Ben and welcome to the LS forum . In case you have not already figured out how to remove the cluster ,first you need to get the steering column fully extended and in the lowest position this helps as the cluster is quite a tight fit .Then disconnect the battery not only to avoid accidental short circuits but also to prevent the dreaded airbag warning permanently lit up .I am not 100% certain this happens on the Mk3 but having had it on my Mk2 and the pain in the rear it causes getting it reset I wouldn't take any chances . There are no visible screws as you have discovered , the lower bezel that has the dimmer and trip/reset buttons is removed by firmly pulling it straight towards you ,it is held by two of those springy clips that Toyota are so fond of ,the clips are roughly under the reset/trip and security lettering if you need to use a bit of gentle leverage . There is a plug at each end to remove then once the bezel is off you will see the two screws that hold the cluster . Once they are out you can ease it forward off of the little lugs that hold the top in . Then the fun part begins ,removing the plugs from the back of the cluster ,yours may come out easy mine were a pain ,fat arthritic fingers dont help though ,the main problem is there is not much room to work at easing them off . But with a bit of luck and perseverance you should be fine . Good luck with your repairs ,the more I play around with mine the more I love these cars.

Looks a bit low Daniel , for the coolant only use Toyota long life red ,mix 50/50 with distilled water . This is the one I use, works out a lot cheaper than using the ready mixed stuff . http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Toyota-Long-Life-Red-Coolant-Antifreeze-Concentrate-5-Litres-0888980014-/221480963080?pt=UK_Vehicle_Oils_Lubricants_Fluids&hash=item33914b4c08